One Night
by donna79
Summary: For one night Bella gives in to her carnal needs, and because of that night; her life is changed forever.
1. A Chance Meeting

**Story Title: One Night**

**Summary: One night with a stranger brings Bella something that Edward can't. What happens when the stranger comes back into her life?**

**Pairing: Edward/Bella and Jacob/Bella**

**AN: Okay, I have to confess that I came up with this story after having the song All I Wanna do is Make Love to You by Heart stuck in my head for two days straight. My Jacob muse was missing my Bella muse and was looking for a little lovin' and so this story came to life. Also this story is going to be a tad bit different from the song. You'll notice the changes starting with this chapter if you've heard the song before.**

**Warning: This chapter contains lemon.**

The rain pounded steadily against the windshield and the wipers were rendered useless. Bella couldn't see more than five feet in front of her and she was contemplating pulling over until the rain let up. Why hadn't she let Edward come with her like he had wanted too? Even if her dad didn't like him as much she'd liked Charlie would have been cordial to him. Now she was stuck in the middle of nowhere with water overtaking the road, making it even harder to navigate.

She was still debating if she should stop when she saw something on the side of the road. She slowed, but didn't pull over just in case she had been seeing things. Someone came to stand at her passenger door and she rolled down the window. The person's face was hidden by the hood of their rain jacket as they leaned down to look into the car.

"You're the first person I've seen in almost an hour," A deep voice filled the car.

"You must be crazier than I am to be out in this," Bella said cautiously.

"Where are you headed?"

"Seattle."

"Do you think that you could give me a ride? I'll pay for the gas," he asked.

"Sure, get in," she said unlocking the door.

The guy opened the door and quickly got in. He put his bag in the floorboard between his feet and put his hands up to the vent to warm them.

"Thanks. I didn't think anyone would stop."

"How long had you been out there?"

"Two hours," he said with a heavy sigh.

She turned up the heat when she heard his teeth chattering. He pushed the hood of his jacket back then ran a hand through his hair.

"I can stop somewhere so that you can get out of those wet clothes if you want. I doubt that you want to get sick."

"That'll be fine. I'm Jacob by the way," he said holding out his hand.

"Bella," she said shaking his hand.

Silence fell between them for the next few miles as she looked for a place to stop. She was tempted to sneak a glance at him but she knew that she wouldn't be able to say anything; it was pitch black in the car. The rain was falling harder than ever and she was driving at a snail's pace when she saw lights in the distance. She sighed in relief when she saw that it was a motel. She'd call Edward once they'd stopped and tell him that she would be home tomorrow.

The office was deserted when they walked in so Bella rang the bell before running her fingers through her wet hair. Jacob had found a bathroom and had gone to change while she waited for the manager. There was noise coming from the room in the back then a woman who looked to be a little older than Bella walked out.

"Hi," Bella said with a smile.

"Hi Hon, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"You were smart to get out of the rain while you still could. Is it just you?"

"I have someone else with me, but we need two separate rooms."

"Let me see what I have," the woman said, typing something into her computer.

The door to the bathroom and Jacob came to stand at the counter as the woman's eyebrows furrowed together in concern.

"I only have one room, it's a single," she said apologetically.

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor," Jacob spoke up.

"We'll take it," Bella said with a nod.

Alarms went off in her head as the woman printed up the paperwork and Jacob pulled out his wallet to pay for the room. She ignored them; rationalizing that if he had wanted to hurt her he would have done it already. She stole a glance at him as the woman went to get the key. Her breath hitched as she took him in. Even though he was leaning over the counter she could tell that he was tall. His dark blue short sleeved shirt pulled across his body, showing off his muscled arms and toned stomach. Her eyes traveled up to his face to see that he was watching her. She couldn't break eye contact with him if she tried. His dark brown eyes were kind, even if they did have a cautious look to them.

She finally broke contact when the woman came back with the key. She handed it to Jacob and he pushed away from the counter and walked towards the door. Bella followed him up a flight of stairs and down a hallway before he stopped at the room at the end of the hall. He unlocked the door then turned on the light inside before stepping aside.

"Ladies first," he said with a smile.

She stepped into the room, thankful for the blast of heat that greeted her. She placed her purse on a table by the door while Jacob shut and locked the door. She pulled her phone out of her purse, deciding to call Edward now rather than later. She plopped down on the bed with a sigh and Jacob watched her curiously. She smiled awkwardly at him as Edward's phone started to ring.

"Bella?" he asked, quickly.

"It's me."

"Where are you? I called your dad's half an hour ago and he said that you'd left two hours ago."

"I'm somewhere outside of Olympia. I was just calling to let you know that I stopped for the night. I'll call you before I leave in the morning."

"At least you're alright. Thank you for calling," he said with a smile in his voice.

"I love you."

"I love you too. I'll talk to you in the morning."

She hung up the phone and placed it on the nightstand. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as Jacob flipped through channels trying to find something to watch. It lasted less than two minutes before he realized that he could only get the local channels.

"Satellite's out because of the rain," she explained.

"Which means that we have to entertain ourselves," he said as he turned off the TV with a defeated sigh.

"We could get to know each other since we'll be stuck here all night," she offered.

"I'll start. Where are you originally from?"

"I'm originally from Forks, but I moved to Seattle for college with my boyfriend and we decided to stay."

"Was he the one that you were talking to?"

"That would be him, his name is Edward," she said with a sentimental smile.

"How long have you guys been together?"

"We've been together since we were seventeen, so five years. Where are you from?"

"I'm originally from La Push. But I'm on my way to Oregon for work."

"That's awfully long way to hitchhike," she said with a scoff.

"Well, I started out driving, but my car died on me this morning. I would have had to wait until Friday for it to get fixed."

"So what are you going to do when it is fixed?"

"I have a friend who's going to pick it up then pick me up when I've finished my job."

"Is there a girl waiting for you in La Push?"

"No," he said with a deep laugh.

"Don't you think that it's ironic that we grew up less than fifteen minutes from each other and yet we've never met?"

"Life's funny that way sometimes."

"I mean, I spent practically all of my time on First Beach every summer; when it wasn't raining that is."

"Any plans for you and your boyfriend to get married?"

"He's been talking about wanting to marry me since we graduated from high school. Back then, I said no because my dad would never have approved of it. Now, there are so many things that I still want to do, places that I want to see. I'm finally out of school so I can take that trip to Spain that I have wanted to take since I was fifteen if I choose to. He understands, but it also hurts him that I'm so reluctant."

"Your dad doesn't like him?"

"He doesn't like that I've moved three hours away to be with Edward or that I rarely come to see him. He's like every dad I've ever met, he doesn't think that Edward is good enough for his little girl," she said with a sheepish smile.

She didn't know why she was telling him all of this. She hadn't voiced her reluctance to marry Edward to anyone. Everyone she knew; minus her dad, loved Edward and thought that he was perfect. She did love him, there was nothing that would ever change the way that she felt about him; but there was something about Jacob that told her that she could trust him. The light flickered off and the heater hissed and rumbled before going silent.

"Maybe the power will come back on in a minute," Bella said reassuringly.

Jacob waited five minutes before heading down to the office. He could hear sirens approaching and a fire truck and ambulance passed the Motel as he made his way down the stairs. The parking lot had started to ice over since they had arrived. He wasn't the only person who had come down to the office to see what the problem was. There were two other men and an elderly woman waiting to speak to the manager.

"She sent her husband to the shed for space heaters. Apparently there's one for every room," One of the men explained.

Jacob nodded as the door opened and an overweight man who looked to be in his fifties pushed a cart with a tarp over it into the lobby.

"We only need these four for now, Jerry. We'll go and get the others as needed," The woman said from behind the counter.

The two men grabbed space heaters and left while the elderly woman explained that she couldn't carry the heater up to her room where her husband waited.

"I can carry it for you Ma'am," Jacob offered.

"Thank you," she said with a kind smile.

Jerry carried two containers of kerosene and said that he would get the woman's heater set up and thanked Jacob for his help. In the ten minutes that Jacob had been gone the temperature in the room had changed. It was freezing, but if he didn't get the heater started soon it would be.

"I found some blankets in the closet in the bathroom," Bella said as she spread two blankets on the floor.

"You didn't have to do that."

"It was the least I could do since you went downstairs to check on things."

"Why don't we continue getting to know each other?" he asked once he had started the heater.

"Okay. Do you have any siblings?"

"I have two older sisters. What about you?"

"I'm an only child. My parents divorced when I was still pretty young."

"My parent's would have been married twenty six years this year if my mom were still alive."

"How did she die?"

"In a logging truck accident, my dad became a paraplegic because of it."

"I'm sorry to hear that. The closest person to me that has died was grandmother. She died when I was fifteen."

"It's been almost ten years and my dad still hasn't moved on," he said sadly.

"My dad hasn't remarried either and he's been single for twenty years."

They talked for a little while longer and Bella could feel the tension melting away. She hadn't had such an open, honest conversation with someone in a really long time. She felt like she had to be perfect for Edward because that was the way that he had always seen her. He held her on such a high pedestal that she felt nervous that she would one day do something to break his trust and he would leave her. She loved Edward with everything that she had and she knew that he loved her too but she couldn't handle the pressure. If she was going to marry him one day she was going to have to talk to him and make him see that she was just as human as everyone else.

"You look like you're a million miles away," Jacob said, breaking through her thoughts.

"I was just thinking, sorry," she said with a bashful smile.

"You can tell me."

"Edward would never understand my reasons for stopping to pick you up much less sharing a room with you," she said with a shake of her head.

"Why did you stop?"

"I would have felt guilty for just leaving you there."

"Do you have to run everything by him?"

"It's not like that," she said shaking her head sadly.

"If I were him I'd be worried too. If I had a girlfriend as beautiful as you I wouldn't want her picking up complete strangers on the side of the road either."

She smiled shyly, feeling a blush creep up the back of her neck. She ducked her head before pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Thank you," she mumbled when she found her voice again.

"Let me guess, he's the only boyfriend you've ever had?"

"Yes."

"And from the reaction you just gave me I can tell that he doesn't compliment you very often."

"He does, but he's the only guy that has complimented me in a while."

"So he's not a complete idiot."

"He's not an idiot at all," she said in Edward's defense.

"Tell me about him," he broached.

"He's such a nice guy. He's polite and smart and he's gentleman."

"He sounds boring," he said pointedly.

"Well he's not; he's old fashioned."

"What does that mean?"

"I'm sexually frustrated," she said sigh.

Jacob fell back onto the bed with laughter. Bella shook her head, not able to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. Once he had gotten control of himself he sat up on his elbows. He looked at her seriously, making her wonder what he was thinking.

"You're not a virgin are you?"

"We have done it, once then he felt guilty and said that it wouldn't happen again until we were married."

"How long ago was that?"

"Six months ago."

"Jeeze, this guy must have balls of steel," he marveled.

"That's what I'm starting to think."

"Haven't you ever pleased yourself?"

"What do you think I am; naïve? That's the only reason I've been able to hold off on getting married for as long as I have."

"Have you ever thought that maybe if you showed him what he was missing that he might change his mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever given him a strip tease, engaged in pillow talk, anything like that?"

"Yes I have, that's not the kind of person he is," she said with a slow shake of her head.

"Here's what I think. You've got an itch that needs to be scratched and this will probably be the only chance I have to be with a girl like you."

"Are you suggesting that we have sex?" she asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"That's exactly what I am suggesting. One night of no strings attached, mind blowing, body numbing sex."

"I don't think so," she stammered.

"Come on, you just said that you needed this. It's obvious that your boyfriend isn't up to the challenge."

"I can't cheat on him."

"He never has to know."

"I'll know!" she said, her voice wavering.

His eyes bore into hers, knowing that she was contemplating what he had said. He saw the line that spread across her forehead vanish and her body relaxed giving him the answer he wanted. He moved closer to her, her body going rigid, unaccustomed to his closeness.

"Relax," he said calmly.

She took a deep breath and he leaned in to gently brush his lips against hers. He had been attracted to a lot of girls, but none had affected him the way that she had. She relaxed against him, bringing her arms around his neck. His fingers made a trail up her side, caressing her breast through her shirt. She hissed against his lips and he wasted no time taking what he wanted. His tongue was in her mouth, exploring every inch of her mouth before she could protest

His hands moved back down her shirt to bunch it in his hands and pulled away then unwound her arms from his neck to lift them over her head so that he could pull her shirt off. He took a few seconds to take her in. Her hair was falling over her shoulders in a cascade of brown silk but it wasn't covering her breast. He reached behind her to unclasp her bra and she pulled her arms out of it silently. She pushed his shirt up his stomach and he pulled his arms out of it before throwing it onto the floor. His eyes met hers and she smiled; looking at him from underneath her lashes, letting him know that she was no longer unsure of what she wanted.

"Lay back," he said almost inaudibly.

She lay back against the pillows and he moved down to her pants, unbuttoning them slowly, not taking his eyes off of her. He pulled them off of her one leg at a time, surprised to find that she was wearing a pair of sexy black bootie shorts.

"Does your boyfriend know about these?" he asked, hooking a finger into the hem of her underwear.

"No. He prefers not to see me in just my bra and panties."

"What happened when the two of you had sex?"

"All the lights were out," she said with a sigh.

"He doesn't know what he's missing," he murmured.

He took his time pulling them off, his fingers brushing over her center, her inner thighs and finally her calves before throwing the underwear over his shoulder.

"He must be crazy to tell you no," he marveled, taking her in.

"Can we not talk about him?"

His eyes met hers once more and he saw the pain in her eyes. He would let the subject go only because it hurt her to talk about how her boyfriend didn't want her the same way he did. She slid her hands over his shoulders and down his back to put her hands in his back pockets. He smiled down at her before leaning down to kiss her once more.

The kiss grew heated and Bella ground her pelvis into his, relishing in the friction that his jeans caused when they rubbed against her center. Her hands slowly made their way from his pockets to his belt buckle, unfastening it and pulling the belt from his jeans with ease. He leaned up so that she could get to the button and zipper easier, not breaking the kiss. She pushed them down his hips and he kicked them off the rest of the way as she continued to grind against him.

He grabbed her wrists, pinning them over her head with one hand while his other hand ventured down her stomach. He slipped a finger inside of her feeling how tight she was. He was going to have his work cut out for him. She squirmed beneath him, urging him on. He moved in steady strokes, wanting to make sure that she was completely ready so that there was as little pain and tension as possible.

He hit her pleasure spot and she gasped, lifting her body off of the bed to meet his finger. She may not have much experience but she was the most responsive girl that he had ever been with. He added a second finger, and she tried to pull her hands from his grasp. He shook his head no, and she gave him a pleading look. He gave her a crooked smile but didn't let go of her hands. She sighed, giving in to him. He continued his pace, even though his cock was twitching with want because he wanted to be inside of her.

"I want to touch you," she said, her voice soft.

"Technically, you are," he reminded her.

"You know what I mean," she said with a sarcastic eye roll.

"I won't last very long if I let you touch me now."

"Who said that this was the only time that we were having sex tonight?"

He cocked an eyebrow in intrigue before letting go of her hands. She wrapped her hands around his member, moving in slow, meticulous strokes.

"If you keep doing that we won't even get to have sex this time around," he warned.

"That's fine," she countered.

They pleased each other in silence until Bella clamped down around his fingers, giving into her orgasm with a gasp. He groaned in satisfaction as he spilled his seed into her hand. He rolled off of her with a sigh and she rolled over onto her side to take him in. He was more filled out than she thought. His arms were more toned than anyone she had ever seen. His stomach was so flat and defined that her fingers reached out to trace its lines on their own accord. Her eyes drifted lower, widening in surprise. Even though she'd had his cock in her hand less than a minute before she hadn't realized how large it was.

"See something you like?" he asked, amused.

"I do," she said, meeting his eyes with a smile.

He brushed her hair out of her face then she laid her head on his chest, wrapping an arm around his waist. He drew lazy circles on her lower back as they basked in the silence again. Bella had never been comfortable with complete and total silence. She always felt inadequate if she broke Edward's concentration while he was studying and now that he was in law school he was required to study even more. She didn't feel that way with Jacob.

She rolled over on top of him placing her hands on his chest, her hair falling around her like a curtain.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't answer him as she guided him into her. There was a tight sensation, but it was one that she could deal with. She rocked against him slowly, working him in inch by inch. He let her set the pace at ease with just watching her. How could someone turn away a woman like her? She was smart, funny, beautiful and not afraid to go after what she wanted. If he were her girlfriend he would give her whatever she wanted.

After a few minutes of slowly rocking and gently pushing herself onto him Bella was finally able take all of him inside of her. She smiled, letting out a breathless laugh. He smiled up at her, placing his hands on her hips to gently roll them over. Once he was situated between her legs he took one of her legs and placed it over his shoulder. Bella's breath hitched and her eyes closed in ecstasy. Jacob placed his arms on either side of her to support himself before pushing in and out of her. She fisted the blanket in her hands before arching herself up to him.

He lowered her leg then sped up. He didn't care if he didn't last long; all he wanted was to feel release. Bella panted, her chest heaving within easy reach. He leaned down to latch onto one of her puckered nipples and she moaned his name. His tongue swirled over her areola and his teeth grazed the sensitive skin surrounding it. Her orgasm hit her like a tidal wave that she felt all the way down to her toes making her scream in pleasure. Jacob buried his face in her neck as he pumped into her a few more times. He grunted as he emptied his seed into her.

He rolled off of her and pulled her with him. She draped a leg over his hip, his member brushing against her thigh. She ran her fingers through his sweat slicked hair, willing her breath to go back to normal. He closed his eyes as a content smile pulled at his lips.

"I say we rest for a little while then try for round three," he suggested.

"I can handle that," she said thoughtfully.

His even breathing was soothing and she felt safe in his arms. She wasn't the type for taking chances and indulging in her inner fantasies but maybe, just maybe she could try to be a little more reckless and carefree. Being uptight hadn't gotten her anywhere and maybe if she were more assertive she would finally get Edward to see that being a sexual being wasn't a bad thing.

XXXX

Jacob woke up to the sound of the heating board starting up. He sat up rubbing sleep from his eyes. The ancient clock on the nightstand let him know that it was almost one. He got the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Bella wasn't in the bed and the bathroom was empty. He moved to the window and pushed back the curtains to find that her car was gone. He turned away from the window in confusion. His eyes searched the room, stopping on a sheet of paper that was propped against the lamp on what had been her side of the bed.

The folded up piece of paper had his name scrawled across it in neat, meticulous handwriting. He opened it, fearing the worst.

_Jake,_

_By the time that you read this I'll be gone. I know that I am taking the coward's way out but I couldn't say goodbye to you in person. As much as I want to, I can't be with you. I have to think of Edward and how hurt he would be if he found out what happened. I can't jeopardize that. I love him even if he does make me crazy and frustrated sometimes. I don't regret what happened last night and I want you to know that I will never forget you. Do you think it's possible to love two people? I knew the first time I looked into your eyes that I loved you. Is that crazy?_

_I know that what I am about to ask you isn't fair, but I hope that you'll honor my wishes anyway. Please don't come looking for me. As much as I care for you I care for Edward more and I can't imagine hurting him. I can't expect you to understand; but he and I have a bond that goes deeper than anything that I have ever known._

_I talked to the night manager and her husband has agreed to drive you to Oregon. I didn't want to leave you stranded._

_Love always,_

_Bella_

He closed the letter taking a slow shallow breath. He folded it over once more before slipping it into his wallet. It was his own stupidity for not telling her how he felt about her last night. He had planned to tell her this morning, he had it all figured it out. Now he would never see her again.

There was a knock at the door and he threw on his boxers and t-shirt before opening the door. The day manager stood outside with a polite smile.

"The woman who was with you asked me to let you sleep but if you haven't left by two than I am going to have to charge you for another day Mr. Black," he explained.

"I'm getting my things together now."

"I'll let my brother know so that he can start the car."

"Thank you," Jacob said with a nod before the man walked away.

He found his bag on the table by the door and he riffled through it, looking for something clean to wear. Jerry was waiting in a beat up Oldsmobile when he came down ten minutes later.

"Where to Mr. Black?" he asked as he pulled out of the parking lot.

"Portland; and you can call me Jake," he corrected him.

Jacob pressed his head against the window, not able to forget what had happened last night. He wasn't the type to have a one night stand; he had been raised better than that. He didn't feel guilty for sleeping with someone else's girlfriend nor did he feel guilty for enjoying it. He would never forget her for as long as he lived.


	2. The Truth Shall Set You Free

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

AN: I hope you all don't mind me flooding your inboxes. I wanted to post all of this at once so that you wouldn't have to wait for the rest of it. Plus, my Jacob muse still won't shut up. He's a little miffed that he won't be in this chapter.

Two months later

Bella stared at her hand for the fourth time in an hour. She hadn't gotten used to the fact that her left ring finger was no longer naked. She had even surprised herself when she had accepted the ring two weeks earlier. She didn't know if it was partly because of the shame she felt for not being honest with Edward or because she had taken his threat of it being the last time he would propose to her seriously.

She sighed with a dreamy smile, glad to know that he loved her enough to want to marry her in the first place. Her smile faltered also knowing that he would never have asked her if he knew the truth. Not a day went by that she didn't think of Jacob. She had tried everything she could to keep her mind off of him. She was working extra hours at the book store to keep herself busy and even though it was the holidays and they were swamped her mind still found time to drift to the night in the hotel room.

Her mind wasn't the only thing working against her these days. She felt like she was coming down with something and because she'd been under so much stress her period was now a week late. Since the shop was relatively empty she went to the back of the store to grab a bottle of water from the back room.

She plopped down into a chair letting out a whoosh of air. Her boss watched her from her office in concern. Tracie knew what was wrong with Bella, she'd been through it herself a few times but she wasn't about to be the one to point out that the girl had put on a few pounds. Maybe she should suggest that Bella take off a few days once the holiday rush was over.

"Bella, are you alright?" Tracie asked from her desk.

"I'm fine, just a little under the weather," Bella reassured her.

"How long have you felt this way?" Tracie asked, playing coy.

"A week or so," she answered, leaning back against the chair before closing her eyes.

"Maybe you should go to the doctor to get it checked out."

Tracie had a point; Bella wasn't solving anything just worrying about what was wrong with her. She needed to get on some medication before Edward caught it. He had been wonderful about taking care of her in between studying and working all week. She pulled out her phone and pulled up the number for her doctor and made an appointment for the following morning. With that out of the way she felt a little better.

XXXX

Bella sat on the exam table wondering when her doctor would finally decide to come to see her. He had taken one look at her and told her that she didn't have the flu so he had suggested that she have some blood work done. The nurse had left twenty minutes ago and so far no one had come back to talk to her. The door opened and a female doctor came in carrying a folder. She sat the folder on the counter before pulling up the rolling stool to sit a few feet away from Bella.

"My name is Dr. Traynor and Dr. Cooper asked me to come in to talk to you because he felt that you would feel more comfortable being examined by a woman."

"What exactly is wrong with me?"

"When was your last period Miss Swan?"

"Almost two months ago," Bella said slowly.

"Are you taking any medication at this time?"

"No," she answered, confused.

"You're pregnant Misses Swan. I'll need to do an ultrasound to get an estimate on how far along you are."

The room started to spin and Bella lay back on the table, feeling her throat clench shut. '_This must be what a panic attack feels like_," she thought to herself.

"I take it that this wasn't planned," Dr. Traynor said gently.

Bella shook her head slowly as tears stung her eyes. The doctor placed a tissue into Bella's palm before gently pushing her hand closed around it. The doctor conducted her exam but it didn't register to Bella. She had no choice but to tell Edward the truth now and he was not going to take it lightly. He had never been the type of person to yell or even raise his voice but she had a hard time imagining him not yelling or even storming away from her when he found out.

The jelly that was squirted onto her stomach was cold enough to bring her back to reality. The doctor moved the wand over her stomach slowly, trying to find a sign of life. Once she found a white blot in a sea of black she pointed it out to Bella.

"There's your baby," she said with a smile.

Bella wiped the tears from her eyes trying to think of a way to tell Edward that even though it wasn't planned that she couldn't possibly give up the baby. She had a feeling that he would see things the same way she did. She took a fortifying breath and told herself that she needed to be strong. She couldn't crumble now; she still had Edward, her family, and his family to face.

"Would you like a picture to take home to your fiancée?"

"Yes, please," she said hoarsely.

"Why don't you get dressed and I'll come back in a few minutes with a disk that you can take home," she suggested.

Bella dressed slowly, her mind in a fog. It was for the best that she didn't know how to get in touch with Jacob. If she did, he would more than likely try to convince her to leave Edward. Her main reason for leaving while he slept was because she knew that he would try to talk her into being with him. She could feel it in the air while they made love. She couldn't take hurting one more person.

XXXX

Bella had taken off her engagement ring hours ago. She was ready for whatever happened, that included Edward asking her to leave and never come back. There was no other choice other than to be completely honest with him. If Dr. Traynor was right, she was seven weeks along and the doctor surprised that Bella hadn't picked up on it before today.

The front door opened and she could hear Edward tossing his keys into the dish on the table by the door. He could be heard making his way upstairs, more than likely wanting to get out of his constricting school clothes. She would never understand why he would choose to go to a school that had a dress code that required its students to dress like they were already in the work force.

Edward came back down twenty minutes later, his hair still wet from a shower wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of blue jogging pants. He went to the refrigerator to grab a beer before noticing Bella sitting at the table with her head in her hands.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"You should sit down," she said gravely.

"Did something happen at work today? Did you lose your job? Because if you lost your job you can find another one like that," he said snapping his fingers.

"Nothing happened at work. Please sit down," she said again.

Edward sat next to her taking her hands in his. He turned her hands over, noticing that she wasn't wearing her engagement ring.

"Bella what is going on?" he asked, terrified about what she would say.

"This isn't going to be easy for me to say so just let me say it before you start asking questions."

"Okay," he agreed with a nod.

"Do you remember the night a couple of months ago when I got caught in a rain storm and I had to stop for the night?"

"Yeah," he said with a short laugh.

"What I didn't tell you was that there was someone else with me-"

"What do you mean?" he asked quickly.

"You said that you would let me say what I needed to say before you started asking questions. I picked up someone from off the side of the road and I had no intention of sharing a room with them but the hotel that we stopped at only had a single room available. We got to talking and I realized that I wasn't happy with you and the way our relationship was going. I ended up sleeping with him. You've changed so much in the last couple of months. You're more attentive and more understanding about my reasons for wanting freedom. Then you asked me to marry you and said that we could take as long as I wanted to plan everything and I knew that I wouldn't be able to tell you no. I love you so much and the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you. I'll understand if you want to call off the engagement and I can have my stuff out of the apartment by this weekend," she said pulling her hands from his.

"What if I don't want you to leave?" he asked reaching for her hands once more.

"I'm pregnant and I can't expect you to raise a baby that isn't yours," she said weakly.

"Does this other guy know?"

"I don't know how to get in touch with him. I don't even know his last name."

"Bella that's not like you," he said with a sigh and a shake of his head.

"That's another thing; I can't live up to your expectations. I am not perfect Edward, and I can't be what you want me to be."

"I didn't realize that you felt that way," he said with another sigh.

"I've tried to tell you so many over the years," she said looking down at their hands.

"Tell you what; from now on we'll be completely honest with each other. If I do something that pisses you off I want you to tell me. Can you do that?" he asked leaning down to her eye level.

Her eyes met his giving him an unsure look. He squeezed her hands reassuringly and she smiled weakly. She had been through several scenarios and was glad to admit that she had been wrong to judge him.

"I'm not saying that it's going to be easy but I want to raise this baby with you. I will love it just as much as I love his or her mother," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

He pulled her from her seat and into his lap. She wrapped her hands around his neck as he ran one hand through her hair and the other down her back in smooth soothing circles. She took a deep breath, glad to have the situation behind her. She had worried over nothing, now all they had to do was tell their families.

XXXX

The Cullen's house had charmed Bella from the first time she had visited it seven years before. It had always been a place filled with love and warmth. Edward had decided that it would be best to tell his family and Charlie at the same time. Her mom could be given the news over the phone since it was the middle of the school year and she couldn't be expected to be there with them.

Esme bustled around the kitchen flitting from Alice to Rosalie to guide them along with the dinner prep. Bella sat at the island with her head in her hands taking it all in. Esme had never let her help with the cooking insisting that she was a guest and a guest should not be expected to help. The four of them caught up on each other's lives as the three of them worked to get dinner into the oven.

Once dinner was in the oven Rosalie folded herself into one of the oversized chairs at the table. She rubbed her protruding belly absentmindedly with a pleased smile on her face. She was weeks away from making the oldest and two youngest Cullen children an aunt and uncles for the first time and she was basking in the prenatal glow.

"I could have helped instead of Rose. She looks like she's about to drop the baby any second," Bella said in concern.

"I am three weeks from my due date thank you very much," Rosalie said in mock resentment.

"I am just glad to have my three favorite girls here, no matter what the excuse," Esme said with a smile.

"You really can't tell us what's going on Bella?" Alice asked.

"We want to tell all of you together."

Edward came in to check on things but placed a gentle kiss on Bella temple before leaving the room. She smiled sadly before recovering. She was nervous about how everyone would take the news. She had a feeling that her dad would use it to his advantage and try to talk her out of marrying Edward once more. She was not looking forward to that conversation.

The doorbell rang and Bella hopped down from her stool to answer it. It had to be her dad; he may not care for Edward but he had no problems with the rest of the family. Sure enough, Edward was at the door letting Charlie in as she walked down the hall. She greeted him with a warm smile and he opened his arms in greeting. She stepped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hey Dad," she said into his chest.

"Hey, Kid," he said before kissing her hair.

Edward walked away, giving them the privacy that they needed. Bella and her dad had a strange yet strong bond. They held nothing back and were always honest with each other. Edward wished that his relationship with Bella could be like that. Esme came out of the kitchen to let everyone know that dinner would be ready in just a few minutes and they all headed into the kitchen.

Bella hadn't had time to get situated in her seat before Alice turn in her seat to face her. Bella watched her expectantly; knowing whatever Alice said would be upfront and blunt.

"Now that we're all together, how about the two of you tell us why you've called us all here," Alice broached.

"How about minding your own business," Edward countered.

"It must not be good news then," Esme said, her face a mask of concern.

"It is, but it's just something that you all aren't prepared for. Since Alice can't wait I'll tell you now. I'm pregnant," Bella said the last sentence quickly, not knowing how they would react.

"That's wonderful!" Esme said; her eyes bright with excitement.

"There's more news," Edward said grimly.

"You're moving up the wedding?" Alice asked.

"There is that. But um, the baby isn't Edward's," Bella said with trepidation.

"Whose is it?" Charlie asked in confusion.

"That doesn't matter now. I'm going to welcome the baby as if it's my own and I expect the six of you to do the same," Edward said looking at his family.

"Of course," Esme agreed.

"Congratulations Bells," Charlie said with no emotion.

"Could I have a few minutes to talk to you alone?" Bella asked her dad.

"Use my office," Carlisle office.

Edward stood to follow them but Bella stopped him.

"I need to talk to him on my own. I'll be right back," she promised.

Bella shut the door behind her before turning to her dad. He sat on the couch with his arms on his knees. He watched her with worried eyes as she paced the room.

"I don't want to hear one word about how this is a sign that I should not marry Edward. Do you understand?"

"I am not going to hide the fact that this is a huge mistake. Who is the father Bells?"

"It's a guy that I met once and I will probably never see again."

"I don't see why Edward would want to raise a child who isn't his."

"Because he loves me and he understands that I am human and is willing to forgive me," she pointed out.

"This guy is too cool under pressure. There has to be some ulterior motive," he said with a shake of his head.

"So you don't think that it could possibly be because he loves me enough to look past the fact that I made a bad error in judgment?

"Nobody is as forgiving as he is making himself out to be Bella," he reasoned.

"If you can't be happy for me than I really don't see a point in continuing this conversation. I'll tell everybody that you decided to leave," she said before turning and walking out the door.

She made it to the bathroom before letting the tears fall from her eyes. She didn't like pushing her dad away but he couldn't see how much his disapproval hurt her. She would never be able to tell Edward the truth without hurting him. He had done nothing wrong; all he did was love her. Why couldn't her dad just be content with the fact that he made her happy?


	3. A Simple Twist of Fate

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: This is the next to last chapter you guys.**

_Ten Years Later_

It had been ten years since Bella had been to Forks. She had missed out on so much; Charlie had gotten married less than a year after Bella's son had been born and she had yet to meet her step mother, sister or brother. All that she knew about them was that they had lived on the same reservation that Jacob lived on. She hadn't wanted to take the chance that they knew him; that was another reason for her reluctance to come back. She talked to her dad maybe three times a year and she felt like it was time to finally break their estrangement. Edward thought that it would be best if he didn't come. Charlie still blamed him for keeping Bella away even though she had told Charlie numerous times over the years that it had been her decision.

Camden sat up in his seat, his neck straining to look as far as he could see. He wanted to take everything in at once. At ten he was a reminder of everything Bella missed about Jacob. Edward and his family loved him but they couldn't take the place of the family that he was being cheated of knowing. Bella had regretted not trying harder to find out where Jacob was after she had gotten pregnant. He deserved to know that he had a son.

"This is where you were born?" Camden asked as they passed over the Forks county line.

"This is it. I lived here until I was two and I moved back when I was seventeen."

"What's that green stuff on the trees?"

"That's moss. It's a fungus that grows on trees because of the rain."

"It's cool looking," he said, not taking his eyes off the trees.

Bella was silent, content to let him take everything in. Once they were in town his eyes widened in surprise when he saw the life size bear outside Newton's Hardware.

"Is that real?"

"That's what they say. Mr. Newton has had that out there since before I was born."

"Did he really kill it?"

"No, he bought it at an auction," Bella said with a light laugh.

"Does Papa know that we're coming?"

"I called him to remind him before we left. Your cousins Grayson and Tyler can't wait to meet you."

"How old are they?"

"I think Nana Sue said that Tyler was seven and Grayson is three."

"How come Dad didn't want to come?"

"He did, but he has a big case to get ready for," she explained.

She hadn't had the heart to tell him that Edward had bowed out of going so that there wouldn't be any tension between Bella and her dad. She was ready to face her dad and tell him how much his disdain towards Edward was not only unwarranted but it was hurtful. She would need to talk to him while she was there.

She was hit with nostalgia as she pulled onto her dad's street. He hadn't moved since she left and thoughts of her teenage years washed over her as she saw things that triggered her memory. Charlie's cruiser was parked in the same place it always was but he'd gotten a new truck. There was another car in the driveway and two more on the road in front of the house. Bella parked across the street and Camden unbuckled quickly. The passenger side rear door swung open and he bounced on his heels with nervous energy while she pulled their bags from the trunk. She heard someone walking down the walkway then crossing the road but she didn't pay any attention. Her dad was standing a few feet away when she closed the trunk.

"Hey," he said with a half-smile.

"Hey Dad," Bella said with a nervous smile of her own.

"Hi," Camden said to get Charlie's attention.

"Hey there," Charlie said, focusing his attention on his oldest grandson.

Charlie hadn't changed much; he had put on a little weight and he was going grey at his temples but other than that he looked exactly the same as he had the night Bella had told him that she was pregnant. He took one of the bags from her before draping an arm over her shoulders. Camden walked to her other side and took his bag from her before wrapping an arm around her waist. She suppressed a chuckle as Charlie led them up the walkway.

Inside Bella took the bags upstairs while Charlie gave Camden a tour of the house. The house had been added on to accommodate her step siblings, but her room hadn't changed. An air mattress in one corner was the only thing that was new. She placed their bags on the bed before heading back downstairs.

Sue was at the stove when Bella made her way into the kitchen. Sue tried to send her pictures of her and her kids and Bella's nephews at least twice a year. Bella cleared her throat to get Sue's attention and Sue smiled warmly when she turned around.

"It's so good to finally meet you. Camden and Tyler are already friends," Sue said as she crossed the room.

"He doesn't have that many friends at home. He's not like the other kids that he goes to school with so he gets teased a lot," Bella explained with a worried expression.

"It's good that you've come. Your dad has missed you."

"I've missed him too."

"He regrets what happened the last time he saw you. He would never admit that though."

"He has too much pride," Bella said with a sad shake of her head.

"We're having a cook out tonight. Your dad has been telling everyone that you were coming since you called him three weeks ago. He's invited the entire police station," she said with a laugh.

"He didn't have to do that," Bella said with remorse.

"Honey half of those people worked there when you lived here last. They want to see you just as much as he does."

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"How well are you at making macaroni salad?"

"I can handle that," she said as she moved around the kitchen to get the supplies that she would need.

They worked in silence until Sue's daughter Leah came in. Grayson followed behind her, making his way to Sue. Sue picked him up and placed him at the kitchen table where there were some crayons and paper. Leah stood next to Bella at the counter and Bella looked at her out of the corner of her eye. Leah nodded politely as she seasoned the steaks before they went outside.

"Leah's not much of a talker. Seth more than makes up for her silence but you already knew that," Sue explained.

"That's okay. I'm comfortable with silence," Bella reassured them both.

The back door opened then slammed shut and a few seconds later a stampede could be heard running down the hall. Tyler and Camden stood in the entry way to the kitchen short of breath and their chests heaving. Bella took a moment to take in her oldest nephew and was surprised to notice that they had almost the exact same coloring. _'It must be a Quileute thing,'_ she thought before brushing the coincidence aside.

"Mom, can we have something to drink?" Tyler asked.

"After you say hi to your Aunt Bella," Leah said, not looking up from what she was doing.

"Hi," Tyler said shyly.

"Hi Tyler," Bella said with a welcoming smile.

"Can I spend the night at Tyler's Mom?"

"That should be something his parents talk about before you ask me," Bella reasoned.

"I asked my dad and he said it was okay with him if it was okay with you and my mom."

"Maybe tomorrow night, I think Camden should take a night to get to know Papa and Nana," Leah said with a shake of her head.

Camden looked up at Bella expectantly waiting for her answer.

"I agree with Leah, you can stay over tomorrow night if it's still okay with them."

The boys grabbed Capri Suns from the refrigerator before running back down the hall and slamming the door once more. The door front door opened a few minutes later and whoever it was was silent as they got something out of the refrigerator.

"You're early," Sue said from the stove.

"Charlotte practically pushed me out of the station. The place was dead; I didn't even go home to change just in case she calls me to come back in."

Bella stilled recognizing the voice immediately.

"Is your dad outside?" Leah asked.

"He's talking to Charlie."

"Where are your manners Jacob Black? Introduce yourself to Bella," Sue chided him.

"He doesn't need to," Bella said before turning around slowly.

Sue and Leah looked between the two of them as Jacob stared at Bella in shock. She looked at him from underneath her eyelashes. Leah pulled Sue out of the kitchen but Sue protested the whole way.

"Come on Mom, they need to talk."

"I've always thought that it was Jake, but I didn't want to say anything just in case it wasn't," Sue said from the hall.

"I think we all had our suspicions Mom, let's leave them alone," Leah reasoned.

Jacob licked his lips nervously wondering what they meant. Bella pushed down the lump that was forming in her throat before taking a deep breath. She gripped the counter to hold herself up.

"I tried to find you, but I didn't know where to start. There wasn't anyone named Jacob living in La Push at the time."

"I worked in Portland for a while then I moved back to join the police academy. I've been living in Forks ever since," he explained.

"I gave up trying after a year. I figured that it was for the best."

"Why did you try to find me? I got the impression that you didn't want to see me again," he said, his jaw tight with aggression.

"I thought that you might want to know that you have a son," she said quietly, her arms wrapped around herself.

Sue came back into the room carrying a picture. She handed it to Bella and Bella ran a hand over the glass with a smile. Camden smiled back at her, his hair was covered with a hat and a scarf covered part of his lower face but anyone who had eyes would see that he had his father's eyes and nose.

"It's the first one I could find," Sue explained.

"Thank you. I have some more in my purse, but that can wait."

"I can go and get it for you," Sue said heading upstairs.

"This is Jacob Camden Swan. Camden, he's your son," she said holding out the picture to him.

"He has your last name?"

"Edward and I both agreed that he should. It wouldn't have been fair to you or Camden to give him Edward's last name."

Sue came back in with Bella's purse and she riffled through the pictures in her wallet until she found one of Camden taken the summer before. He was still wet from swimming and his hair was sticking out in every direction but he was grinning from ear to ear and his dimples were as deep as Jacob's. She held out the picture to Jacob and he let out a whoosh of air, the tension from a few minutes before was gone.

"Wow," he said quietly.

"He's out back; I can go and get him if you want."

"He's here?" he asked quickly.

"This is my first time back in ten years; I wanted him to meet my family."

"Jake?" A deep voice called through the open window over the sink.

"Yeah, Dad?" Jacob answered.

"Why don't you bring her out her so I can meet the mother of my grandson?"

"Come on," Jacob said jerking his head towards outside.

Bella followed him, her feet dragging. She had never thought that this would happen. She wasn't prepared for it and she guessed that Camden was probably shell shocked by now. Jacob put a hand on her on her arm to stop her at the back door. She looked up at him with worried eyes.

"I'm not mad, but I do have about a hundred thousand questions for you. We'll talk later," he said reassuringly.

He opened the door and gestured for her to go out first. Her eyes searched the crowd for Camden and found him playing at one corner of the yard with Tyler and a group of boys close to his age.

"The twins would be Camden's cousins on my side. Chase and Nicholas are year older than him," Jacob explained, pointing out two of the boys.

Bella nodded, biting her lip nervously. Charlie fell into step with her, draping an arm over her shoulders. He squeezed her to him, letting her know that she wouldn't be going through it alone. The man that Bella assumed was Jacob's father was sitting beneath the kitchen window surrounded by at least six men who could easily pass as being related.

"Guys, why don't you give Bella and I a chance to talk to Jake and Billy?" Charlie asked.

The group scattered, each of them giving Bella a cautionary once over. The guys went to the boys and Tyler latched onto one while the twins tackled another. Camden stood back a few yards, taking it in. Leah walked over and introduced Camden to the men and Camden waved shyly in response.

"Bella this is Billy, you've heard me mention him," Charlie explained.

Bella did remember her dad mentioning Billy, even Jacob over the years but she had never thought that it would be the Jacob that she was looking for. Jacob was such a common name; what were the odds that he would be working for her dad?

"It's nice to finally meet you," Billy said with a nod.

"You too," Bella said with a nod of her own.

"He looks just like Jake did at that age," Billy said with pride.

"How did they not see the pictures that I sent you of him?" Bella asked her dad.

"We keep them in our room. Sue, Leah and I had our suspicions but we didn't want to scare you into coming back."

"You said that he has your last name?"

"Yes, he does."

"He's your only child?"

"It's impossible for my husband to give me a child. He had chicken pox as a child and it spread, it was one of those freak things that just happens," she explained.

Edward hadn't taken the news that he was sterile lightly. They had looked into every option available before realizing that having children wasn't in the cards. He didn't like the idea of adopting, even though he had been adopted himself. He didn't want to take the chance that the parents would someday come back and fight for custody of the child. He loved Camden with everything he had. He was home by a certain time every day and he and Camden had a nightly ritual that Edward never missed. He had turned part of their back yard into a soccer field so that Camden could practice whenever he wanted.

Camden walked up to them and sat at Bella feet. She put a hand on his shoulder and he leaned against her to look up at her. He shielded his eyes to block the sun before giving her a lopsided grin. She ruffled his hair, giving him a small smile.

"Can you say hi, or have you gone mute?" she questioned.

Camden rolled his eyes before grinning. He waved to Jacob and Billy and Billy nodded with a playful gleam in his eye while Jacob watched him and Bella interact. Charlie stood and pushed Billy away silently then Camden stood to take Charlie's seat.

"What grade are you in Camden?" Jacob asked to break the ice.

"Fifth," he said quietly.

"Do you play any sports?"

"I play soccer."

"He's pretty good, his team won the city championships last year," Bella said with pride.

"It's okay that you don't say much. You and your mom are a lot alike."

"How do you two know each other?" Camden asked Bella.

"Do you remember when I told you that dad's not your real dad?"

"Uh huh."

"This is your real dad. His name is Jacob, like yours."

Camden leaned forward to look around her so that he could take Jacob in. Her cell phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. She closed her eyes with a sigh when she saw Edward's face on the screen. She had forgotten to call him to let him know that they had gotten in.

"I have to take this," she said before pressing the answer button.

She stood before greeting Edward. She could hear him on the other end as she walked up the stairs to go back into the house. The sound of keys being tapped filled his end of the line as she made her way upstairs to her roo.

"Sorry, I had to get way from all the noise," she explained.

"Are you guys having a party or something?"

"A cook out. There are people here that I have seen since we graduated from high school."

"When did you get there?"

"An hour and a half ago. I'm sorry that I haven't called you yet. I haven't had a moment to catch my breath since we got here."

"What's going on?"

"You're not going to believe who is here," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Elvis?" he asked in a teasing manner.

"That would be easier for you to handle, but no. Jacob is here," she in a serious tone.

"Jacob, as in Cam's dad? That Jacob?"

"That's the one. He and Camden are getting to know each other now."

"Oh wow," he said with an astonished sigh.

"Something told me that I should have tried a little harder to talk you into coming with me and I ignored it because I know how you feel about causing unwanted stress."

"What is Jacob doing there?"

"My dad invited him, he works at station."

"Do you think your dad did it on purpose?"

"No. He said that he suspected that Camden might have been Jacob's but he didn't know for sure until he saw him today. Camden has already taken to all of his cousins. I have a feeling that he and Leah's oldest son Tyler are going to be best friends by the end of the weekend," she said with a chuckle.

"How is Jacob taking it?"

"He's still in shock, but he's not mad. I think I might stay an extra couple of days so that they can have some more time together."

"That's a good idea. Did you tell him that you tried to look for him?"

"Yeah, he said that lived in Portland for a while and he's lived in Forks since he came back."

"I should go. I still have work that I need to get done. I just wanted to call and see if you had gotten in."

"Okay, don't work too hard."

"I'll try not to. I love you."

"I love you too."

Sue and Leah were in the kitchen when she came back downstairs. They were gathering the food together so that it could be brought outside. Bella grabbed a plate of hotdog and hamburger buns without being asked and placed the on the table outside. Camden slid in front of her and she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Chase and Nicholas' dad says that you're pretty."

"Your uncle said that? Does your aunt know?"

"I don't know," he said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't pay any attention to Paul, Honey. He doesn't have an off filter," Leah said with an eye roll.

"What's an off filter?" Camden asked.

"She means that he's exactly like Emmett," Bella explained.

"Uncle Emmett is fun," Camden said, his mouth quirking up at a corner.

"He's brutally honest sometimes," Leah said with a shake of her head.

"It's fine," Bella said with a small smile.

She scanned the crowd looking for Jacob but couldn't find him anywhere. She made her way to where her dad and Billy sat with Sue and Seth before going to get her and Camden something to drink. She sat in between Billy and Camden and Billy turned towards her.

"Jake got called back to the station but he wanted me to give you his number so that the two of you could talk," he said sliding a piece of paper over to her.

"Thank you," she said appreciatively.

"This must be a lot to take in for both of you," Sue said with concern.

"It is, but we'll make it through together, right?" Bella asked Camden, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Right," he said around a mouthful of hot dog.

"Jacob talked about you constantly after he met you. You could tell that he loved you, he still does," Leah said honestly.

"He's always acted on his emotions. He's fearless and he's not ashamed of anything he's ever done," Sue added.

"He's a good person though," Seth said, putting his opinion in.

"He would give you the shirt off of his back if you asked him to," Charlie said.

"So you guys are his fan club?" Bella asked.

"We're just telling you what you're in for with him. He'll do the right thing. He feels terrible for not being there from the beginning," Billy answered.

"You got that after only an hour?"

"I know my kid better than anybody here. He's got a good heart."

Bella nodded; glad for the chance to hear their opinions on the situation and to have a chance to get to know what kind of person Jacob was. Things weren't going to be easy, but she was willing to do whatever it took to make sure that Jacob was a part of Camden's life from now on.


	4. Strong Enough

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, no I do not.**

**AN: This is the end you guys. I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

Every journey starts with a single step. That was how Edward Cullen saw the situation that he was facing. He had three options he could choose and each would leave a lasting mark on everyone involved. The first option being that he could drop everything and head to Forks to surmise just how much damage had been done. He trusted Bella's judgment, but he did not trust Jacob. He didn't even know Jacob. Who was to say that he would try to talk Bella into letting Camden live with him? The second option was to sit back and let things fall where they may. He didn't like that option, so he quickly dismissed it after thinking of it. The third option would be to bow out gracefully because he would never be able to give Bella what she truly wanted.

Bella thrived on being a mother; it was like she was born to be a mother. They had tried for eight years to have a child naturally before finding out that it wasn't possible. Emmett had stepped in and offered to be their sperm donor since he and Rosalie had had no trouble having children. Emmett had blessed Rosalie with three strapping boys and four girls, five of them being quintuplets. Edward had been receptive to the idea but Bella had turned him down. She didn't want to carry a child fathered by her brother in law, no matter how badly Edward wanted a child to carry on his last name.

Camden was a good kid, but like his mom he was susceptible to being easily swayed and then being stubborn about changing his mind once it was made up. Edward didn't like the idea of walking out on his family but he felt like his life with them was a sham. Bella was his wife, but he wouldn't be able to raise Camden now that Camden had met his real father. He had fought an inner battle the whole time Bella was pregnant, one day he would be fine with the situation, the next he would fight the urge to demand that she give the baby up for adoption. It had taken one look at Camden for him to know that the little boy had him wrapped around his finger.

They lived a quiet life together. He did feel guilty for keeping Bella away from her dad and for asking her to move even farther west after he had finished law school. Their life in California was like living the American dream. Two small town kids who had met in high school and stayed together through college then married and finally made a better life for themselves without the help of their families. They had both sacrificed a lot to have what they had. He sometimes wondered if Bella resented the fact that he had asked her to stop working after Camden was born. She had done what he had asked, but he could tell that the independent streak that she had had burned out and she was just floating listlessly through life except when it came to Camden.

Edward sat on their bed taking in the room. Pictures of them were placed all over the room and in those pictures they looked like a happy family, but he knew the truth. Camden was such a reserved child and Edward tended to worry about him too much. Bella was more lenient when it came to giving Camden his space while Edward wanted to know everything about the boy's life. Letting go wouldn't be easy, but it was what he had to do. He picked up a picture of the three of them from off his nightstand and placed it in the open bag on the bed. He zipped up the bag before reaching for his phone. It was still early and he knew that Bella kept her phone on silent while she slept so he had a little while before she would get it. He would have just enough time to get his things together and be on the road before she called to ask him what was going on.

"You've got Bella. Leave a message at the beep," her voice mail kicked in after the second ring.

"It's me. I was just calling to tell you that I've made the decision to leave. I can't keep you and Camden from having what you both want. You deserve the chance to have more kids and Camden needs a normal life and a chance to know his dad and his family. I've held the two of you back for too long. I'm sorry."

He dug his palms into his eyes to keep himself from crying before picking up the first of many boxes. He told himself that they would eventually pick themselves up and carry on without him. They would have a chance at the happiness that they deserved. He was still young; he would eventually find someone else to share his life with.

XXXX

Bella spent most of the day in her room. She couldn't believe that Edward had walked out of her life. What was she supposed to do now? Her dad had tried to help her see the bright side of things. She was young; she could bounce back from this. She could make a life for herself and Camden. She didn't need a man to make her feel strong. She had tried calling Edward several times but he had turned his phone off. She didn't understand what was going on.

Charlie had called the Cullen's to see if any of them had heard from Edward but if they had they weren't saying anything. They were just as surprised as he was that Edward had left Bella. Sue had taken Camden to his Leah and Sam's to keep him out of Bella's hair. Billy came by that night to watch a baseball game and Charlie mentioned what had happened. Bella came down as Billy was leaving and he could tell that she was taking it hard. He had seen the same look on Jacob when he had come home from Oregon.

Leah dropped the boys and Sam off at Jacob's so that Jacob could spend some time with Camden before Bella left the next day. Sam had heard Billy telling Quil Sr. what had happened and was torn about if he should tell Jacob or not. If the situation were reversed he would want to know. The boys played in the front yard while Jacob and Sam sat on the steps.

"Your dad came into the store this morning," Sam broached.

"He can go to the store if he wants, he's a big boy," Jacob chided teasingly.

"I overheard him talking to Quil Sr., Bella's husband packed up and left."

"What?" Jacob asked quickly.

"Apparently he couldn't handle the fact that you were back in the picture."

"Idiot," Jacob said under his breath with a shake of his head.

"You know that I am the last person who will ever interfere in your life but I know that you still have feelings for her. What do you plan on doing about them?"

"Can you watch them?" Jacob asked as he stood.

"Sure."

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he promised.

"Take all the time you need."

Jacob strode through the yard with determination and purpose. He was going to talk to Bella and he was not going to take no for an answer. He would do whatever it took to make her see that he could make her happy and take care of their son. He was outside Charlie's house less than five minutes later. The driveway was empty except for Charlie's pick up. Bella's car was where it had been since she had arrived in Forks.

He walked into the house without knocking and took the stairs two at a time. He looked into every room, not sure where he was going. Bella's room was kitty cornered with the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her door was open but she was facing away from him.

"Bella?" he called quietly.

He stepped into the room when she didn't answer him. He crossed the room slowly not wanting to startle her. He crouched next to the bed behind her and put a hand on her back. He could feel her breathing deeply in sleep before standing up. He would bide his time until she woke up.

XXXX

The room was nearly dark and the house was silent when Bella woke up. She stretched with a groan before reaching for her phone. Edward still hadn't called which was making her frantic with worry. The desk chair scraped across the floor making her rollover onto her back to check to see who else was in the room. Jacob was straddling the chair, watching her in concern.

"Where's Cam?" she asked hoarsely.

"He's with Leah's husband. Did you get a chance to meet Sam?"

"I vaguely remember meeting him. Their youngest son looks like him, doesn't he?"

"Grayson does look like Sam," Jacob said with a nod.

"Why are you here?"

"I thought that you could use a friend."

"You don't have ulterior motives?" she questioned.

"No," he said with a light chuckle.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do," she said with a heavy sigh.

"You're gonna pick yourself up and move on with your life. People get divorced all the time. My friend Embry is going through it; luckily he doesn't have any kids."

"Yeah, lucky him," she agreed.

"It may not seem like it now but things will get better," he reasoned.

"You are a nice guy, aren't you?" she said with a dry chuckle.

"What?" he asked; confused.

"My family plus your dad gave me the hard sell about you my first night here."

"What all did they say?"

"Pretty much that you could be nominated for sainthood but your hot temper keeps you from being perfect."

"Did they happen to mention that it takes a lot to make me mad?"

"Yes, they did."

"So tell me about you. We never got around to talking about you when we met."

"I graduated from UDub with a double major in Art and Literature. I dreamed of opening an art gallery/bookstore when I was younger."

"Why didn't you make it happen?"

"Edward wanted me to stop working after Camden was born. I gave in because I wanted to make him happy."

"It can still happen," he said optimistically.

"I don't know. Maybe if I were younger it would be ideal. Camden is going to need me now more than ever and starting a business in California can be expensive."

"Then move back here. You can get a loan from the bank, and I'm sure that Charlie and Sue would let you and Camden stay with them until you got on your feet."

"Camden would be able to see you whenever he wanted," she said thoughtfully.

"That is something that could work in my favor," he said with a nod.

"I have missed my dad and I want to get to know Sue, Leah, and Seth," she agreed.

"So what's the verdict?"

"It looks like Forks' population is going up," she said with a smile.

"Just know; that since I am a gentleman I am going to give you…six months. And when those six months are up there will no stopping me from making you mine. So take the time you need and get your bearings. But let this be a taste of what waits for you," he said, rising from the chair.

He was across the room in two strides and sitting in front of her before she knew what was happening. He placed his arms on either side of her before leaning down. His eyes didn't leave hers as their lips met. What started out as a gentle kiss turned into a mind blowing, earth shattering, toe curling kiss that left her wanting more. His tongue swept into her mouth like it belonged there. Her fingers tangled into his hair, wanting to keep him there. She had no idea that kissing someone could be like this. Edward was more meticulous, more careful and she always felt that he was holding back. Jacob was the complete opposite of that. He pulled away, giving her a coy smile.

He stood and walked back to the chair to get his jacket. He put it on then crossed the room to come to a stop at the door. He looked over his shoulder, giving her a once over. She was staring at him with a look that was a cross between shock and want.

"I'll see you around Bella," he said before walking out of the room.

Bella let out a short, nervous laugh before raking a hand through her hair. She was in for a world of trouble, but it was a kind of trouble that she could handle. She would take some time to regroup and get Camden settled into life in Forks but it helped to know that she wouldn't be alone. She had lived life by someone else's terms for too long and it was time for her to make a life for herself.

**AN2: This story was visualized and written in less than five days. I have been working like a maniac to finish this but I have loved every minute of it. Okay here's where you all tell me what you think. Do you like it as much as I do or did you hate it? I want you to be honest if you think that there is something that I need to work on. No writer can grow without constructive criticism or feedback.**


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